Faithfulness will set you apart from the Crowd
Wed. Night Service April 1st 2009
Hebrews 3:1-6
Introduction
The writer of Hebrews, calls attention to Jesus. He tells us to “Consider Christ Jesus” or to “fix your thoughts on Jesus”.
The writer of Hebrews has picked Jesus out from the crowd. And why has he singled out Jesus from the rest? As we read Hebrews 3:1-6 we quickly discover it is because of the characteristic of “faithfulness”. Jesus possessed faithfulness and faithfulness sets you apart from the crowd.
Now here is the point: Faithfulness set Jesus apart from the crowd. You and I as Christians are called to be faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
So we should stand out from the crowd. So the question I had to ask myself is what does faithfulness look like? Once I know that, then I can measure if I am a man or woman of faithfulness. I can determine if I stand out above the crowd.
So right now where I live, what should my faithfulness look like?
Because the writer of Hebrews starts the Chapter with “Therefore” he is telling us that we might discover what faithfulness looks like in the first two chapters in addition to what he is writing now. So what we have seen so far is open game in discovering what faithfulness looks like.
Read Scriptures: Hebrews 3:1-6
I. Faithfulness looks like a person who has stayed on course no matter what life has thrown at them.
Hebrews 1:10-12 “He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”
The writer of Hebrews tells us that one of the anchors of faithfulness is that you remain the same. You remain the same no matter what changes around you. Here the writer tells us the world is going to change but you and I can count on God remaining the same.
So a faithful person today looks like a person who has stayed on course in their relationships with God and in their relationships with others despite what life has thrown at them.
Have things that have happened to you in your life caused you to push away from God? Can you remember a time when you were more committed to God then you are now but something happened and you chose to push away? Then you have not remained faithful no matter what life has thrown at you.
How about in your relationship with others? Have you not been there for somebody when they needed you the most? You may have been experiencing your own pain at that moment but when they needed you- you were not there for them.
Faithfulness is I stay the course no matter what life throws at me.
II. Faithfulness looks like a person who has a forgiving heart no matter how or how many times it has been hurt by you.
Hebrews 2:17 “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”
Think about Jesus for a moment. One of His primary roles in heaven is to serve as an Advocate to the Father asking the Father to forgive me of my sins and it was those very sins of mine that put Him on the cross in the first place.
Now just think with me for a moment if Jesus would forgive me for 1,000 sins between now and my death but I end up committing more than 1,000 sins during that time period. And He tells me you reached your limit, I am not going to forgive you any more sins. Would I consider Jesus faithful to me? No!
You show me a person who has an unforgiving heart and I will show you a person who is not going to be very faithful. They will be faithful only to a point- and that is not real faithfulness.
Faithfulness looks like a person who is always willing to forgive.
III. Faithfulness looks like a person who is there for you when you need him or her the most.
Hebrews 2:18 “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus endured what He endured so that He can be there for you when you really need Him. He has endured what you are enduring so He can feel your pain.
In Chapter 3, the writer says that Jesus is an Apostle. It means to be an ambassador or representative. If I would find myself in a foreign country and in need of my ambassador one of the worse things that I could possibly hear is that he is out of town or not available for me at this moment. Jesus as the Apostle; Jesus as the Ambassador is always available for me.
Are you there for your spouse when he or she needs you; are you there for fellow church member when he or she needs you; are you there for that co worker when they need you. A person who is faithful will be there.
IV. Faithfulness looks like a person who doesn’t quit on me despite how much grief I give them.
Hebrews 3:2 “He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.”
A thousand times Moses could have pulled out of the job of leading the Israelites to the Promised Land and no one would have thought any less of Moses. After all these people were unfaithful to him; after all, they were disloyal to him taking every opportunity to complain against him. But despite that, he chose to stay with them and faithfully did the job God gave him of leading the people to the Promised Land. He didn’t quit on them.
And the writer in Hebrews 3 tells me that Jesus is greater than Moses. And so if Moses didn’t quit on them; the one more faithful (Jesus) will never quit on me and He will never quit on you. No matter how much heartache we have given Him, He will never quit on us.
I wonder today if you have quit on someone in your life. It could be a family member. You tell yourself they will never change; I just quit praying for them. It could be that disobedient son or daughter who refuses to follow the rules and you tell yourself they are on their own.
I just want to remind you that God never quit on you no matter how much pain you inflicted on Him.
Conclusion
Do I look like a faithful person?
Do I stay the course no matter what life throws at me?
Do I forgive no matter how many times I have been hurt?
Am I there when someone needs me the most?
Do I hang in there even when I am tempted to call it quits?
That is what faithfulness looks like. The writer called out Jesus for being faithful. Can someone call me out for being faithful?
(Thanks sermoncentral contributor, Preacher’s outline and sermon bible, Dr. Dave Hartson)
